This invention relates to specific fragrance compositions and specific liquid or solid fabric softener compositions of matter. The liquid or solid fabric softener compositions of matter when used in their proper environments, cause the fabrics treated with same to have aromas with good initial strengths which aromas are controllably released (under the normal conditions of use of fabrics treated using solutions created from the liquid or solid fabric softening compositions of matter, at a consistently high level over an extended period of time. This invention is also specially adapted to the creation of liquid or solid fabric softener compositions of matter which give rise to "bursts" of different fragrances from a qualitative standpoint at controllable time intervals over controllable periods of time.
The prior art recognizes that perfume-containing particles of a defined melting point and size can be incorporated into compositions containing a fabric-substantive cationic surfactant. Thus, in Canadian Pat. No. 1,111,616 issued on Nov. 3, 1981 it is indicated that the cationic surfactant in the composition probably becomes associated, in the use of the composition, with the perfumed particles and assists in carrying the particles to a fabric surface where they release their perfume especially during heat treatment such as drying or ironing. It is further indicated in Canadian Pat. No. 1,111,616 that the particles have particular advantage of enhancing the impact of perfume components which are normally somewhat labile and tend to be lost during processing or use. The instant invention represents a distinct improvement over the advance in the prior art disclosed in Canadian Pat. No. 1,111,616. According to Canadian Pat. No. 1,111,616, there is provided a perfumed conditioning composition which comprises from 0.1% to 20% by weight of the composition of particles having an average particle size in the range of from 0.1 up to 2,000 microns and having a melting point in the range of from 38.degree. C. to 150.degree. C., said particles comprising, by weight of the particles (a) less than 95% in at least 25% of the carrier substance and (b) from 1% to 75% of a perfume, said particles being incorporated into a composition which contains from 0.1% to 10% of a fabric substantive cationic surfactant. The instant invention can be used in conjunction with the subject matter of the examples of Canadian Pat. No. 1,111,616 and represents a distinct improvement thereover.
Even prior to the discovery as set forth in Canadian Pat. No. 1,111,616, most domestic detergent compositions and rinse-added textile softeners have been perfumed, but in general, little of the perfume was transmitted to the fabrics except when special fabric substantive perfumes were used as described in United Kingdom Patent Specification No. 838,240.
In addition, German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,631,129 describes textile treatment compositions containing prills of size 5 to 2,000 microns comprising 95 to 99.5% of a fabric softening (and anti-static) agent and 0.5 to 5% of a non-fabric softening fabric conditioning material, e.g. a perfume. Such prills are entrained and carried with the fabrics into a fabric drier where they melt or soften at the temperature reached in the drier. The melting of the prills allows the fabric softening agent to spread over the fabric surfaces by virtue of the tumbling action of the drier and further causes the non-fabric softening agent to deposit efficiently onto the fabrics being dried. The German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,702,162 describes fabric conditioning particles of size from 5 to 2,000 microns comprising 20-53% castor wax, 45-80% quaternary fabric softener and optionally from 0.1 to 2% perfume. They are intended to be dispersed in detergent compositions. United Kingdom Patent Specification No. 1,204,123 describes mixtures of perfumes or other things in an extrudable solid which mixtures are formed into granules which are added to surfactant-containing powders. Fabric conditioning compositions containing perfume microcapsules are also described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,234,627 which relates to granular presoaking/washing compositions comprising:
(A) from about 3% to 20% by weight of a granular fabric treatment mixture, the granules within said mixture comprising PA1 the weight ratio of microcapsules to capsule transfer agent within each granule of the fabric treatment mixture ranging between about 0.002:1 and 2000:1; and PA1 (B) from about 5% to 90% by weight of a presoaking/washing adjuvant selected from the group consisting of water-soluble detersive surfactants, detergency builders and mixtures of water-soluble detersive surfactants and detergency builders. PA1 (A) an essential oil PA1 (B) a detergent composition which includes an anionic, cationic, or nonionic surfactant or mixtures thereof; and PA1 (C) a softening agent which comprises a fixed oil derivative. PA1 "When the emulsion is added to the gum base, it is thoroughly mixed therewith by the usual means employed for mixing the flavoring material with such base. PA1 "The production of the emulsion serves to break up the essential oil into fine particles and to encase these particles in the emulsifying material, so that when the emulsion is added to the gum mass, the essential oil to a large degree is prevented from coming into direct contact with the base, and from having deleterious action thereon." PA1 "It is now possible to obtain a flavoring composition, particularly adapted for use in chewing gum which permits attainment of a product characterized by extended flavor perception time, true flavor character, and release of a large proportion of flavoring agent. This flavoring composition comprises finely divided particles of a dried hardened gelatin emulsion containing discrete micro-droplets of a volatile, water-immiscible flavoring agent. Preparation of the flavoring composition of this invention may be effected by encapsulating discrete micro-droplets of volatile, water-immiscible flavoring agent within finely divided particles of a dried emulsion of hardened gelatin." PA1 "A chewing gum containing a flavoring composition characterized by an extended flavor perception time, true flavor character, controlled release of a large portion of flavoring agent, and reduction in amount of flavor oil required (which) may be prepared by the process comprising forming a gelatin-coacervated flavor, and substantially uniformly distributing said gelatin-coacervated flavor within an all-enveloping mass of a chewable gum base. The product chewing gum . . . comprises . . . finely divided particles of coacervated gelatin containing a water-immiscible flavoring agent therewithin and an all-enveloping mass of a chewing gum base within which the particles are substantially distributed." PA1 a. Hercules/Klucel.RTM./hydroxypropyl cellulose published by Hercules Incorporated of Wilmington, Del.; PA1 b. Klug, Vol. 24, No. 51, Food Technology, January, 1970, page 51 entitled "Functional Helpmate to Development . . . Hydroxypropyl Cellulose/a New Water Soluble Cellulose Polymer"; and PA1 c. U.S. Pat. No. 3,278,521, issued on Oct. 11, 1966 entitled: "Hydroxypropyl Cellulose and Process"/Inventor: Klug. PA1 a. Miles et al, J. Soc. Cosmet. Chem., 22, 655-666 (Sept. 17, 1971) ["Encapsulated Perfumes in Aerosol Products"] PA1 b. Brenner et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,971,852 issued July 27, 1976 (Process of Encapsulating an Oil and Product Produced Thereby).
(i) water-insoluble, friable microcapsules varying in size from about 5 to 500 microns, each microcapsule consisting essentially of PA2 (ii) a substantially water-insoluble, fabric substantive capsule transfer agent having a melting point between about 40.degree. C. and 150.degree. C.; said capsule transfer agent surrounding each microcapsule;
(a) a liquid core containing fabric conditioning agent; and PA3 (b) a solid thin polymeric shell completely surrounding said core; said shell having an average thickness ranging between 0.1 and 50 microns; and
In addition, United Kingdom published Patent Specification No. 2,022,609A describes a soap or detergent additive composition comprising a blend of:
The essential oil could be, for example, a 35-40% eucalyptus oil solution as set forth in Example 4 on page 5 of said patent specification.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,567 issued on Aug. 18, 1981 discloses the requirement of considerable stability of perfume substances in the formulation of detergents particularly where the stability is required in alkaline surroundings. A tetrahydropyran derivative is described for use in perfuming detergents which is stable.
Furthermore, there has been considerable work performed relating to fragrance substances which have a fragrance impact both initially and over an extended period of time during the consumption of the consumable material in which the fragrance is located. Problems have arisen in attempting to create such fragrance compositions for use with hydro-alcohol compositions of matter such as colognes, wherein part of the fragrance is available for immediate results whereas another part of the fragrance provides the effect gradually over extended periods of time; and further, in different manners in different controllable periods of time. Such problems include the continuous distribution of "initial impact" and "extended release" fragrance over the entire mass of the hydro-alcohol composition of matter (e.g., cologne) as well as commercial manufacture of same.
In a somewhat analogous manner, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,253,473, 4,259,355, 4,001,438 and 3,920,849 have presented solutions to such problems where other consumable materials are concerned, e.g. smoking tobacco, hot beverages, and chewing gums. Thus, described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,920,849, are orally utilizable compositions which may be either chewing gum compositions, chewable medicinal tablets, chewing tobacco or toothpaste having, on oral intake, a high flavor intensity release evenly and uniformly over an extended oral utilization time in the mouth cavity; the orally utilizable compositions containing a non-confined flavor oil, a flavor oil which is physically entrapped in solid particles and a suspending agent such as silica, xanthan gum, ethyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl cellulose; the non-confined flavor oil, the entrapped flavor oil and the suspension agent being premixed prior to addition to either the chewing gum base, the chewing tobacco, the chewable medicinal tablet base, the toothpaste base, the smoking tobacco or the hot beverage. Neither U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,253,473, 4,259,355, 3,920,849 nor 4,001,438 discloses the use of such material for fragrancing fabrics treated with one or more liquid or solid fabric softener compositions which are consumed during the standard use of such liquid or solid fabric softener compositions subsequent to the drying of the thus-treated fabric.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,526,039 teaches that if an essential oil or flavoring is combined with a chewing gum base in a finely divided condition, and the particles of the flavoring or oil are encased in a suitable covering so as not to contact the gum directly during manufacture, the deleterious effect of the flavoring on the gum is prevented or largely reduced. It is further stated therein that:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,886,440 teaches a method of preparing a chewing gum characterized by "extended flavor perception time, true flavor character, and high degree of flavor release comprising the steps of forming a spray-dried emulsion of a volatile, water-immiscible flavoring agent encapsulated within finely divided particles of gelatin, and substantially uniformly distributing said gelatin encapsulated flavoring agent within an all-enveloping mass of a chewable gum base."
The use of separate "fixed" and "unfixed" fragrance portions is also taught but there is no disclosure therein of the principle of this invention, to wit: mixing the fixed and unfixed fragrance portions with a suspension agent prior to adding to a fabric softener composition prior to use thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,886,446 teaches a chewing gum comprising (i) smaller particles of gelatin characterized by faster liberation of flavor and (ii) larger particles of gelatin characterized by slower liberation of flavor, each of the gelatin particles containing dispersed therewithin, in dried emulsion form, discrete micro-droplets of a volatile water-immiscible flavoring agent, and an all-enveloping mass of a chewable gum base within which the particles are substantially uniformly distributed whereby the flavor is released substantially evenly and uniformly over the extended chewing time.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,886,445 teaches that:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,886,449 teaches:
The utilization of sustained release flavor containing capsules in such materials as chewing gum and medicinal tablets is also taught in British Pat. No. 1,205,764.
The use of sustained release flavor capsules in conjunction with polyethylene glycols (which are taught to be employed to desolventize the capsules) is set forth in British Pat. No. 1,318,799.
The use of hydroxypropyl cellulose contained in microcapsules especially for pressure sensitive copying paper is disclosed in Japanese Pat. No. J7 9000 426 claiming a priority of U.S. application Ser. No. 480,956 filed on June 19, 1974 and assigned to the Mead Corporation. In said Japanese Pat. No. J79 000 426, it is indicated that oil-containing microcapsules especially for pressure sensitive copying paper are prepared by (a) preparing an aqueous solution of hydroxypropyl cellulose containing reactive hydroxyl groups and having a decreasing water solubility as the temperature increases; (b) then preparing a solution of an oil soluble cross-linking agent for the hydroxypropyl cellulose in an oil; then emulsifying the oil solution in the aqueous solution to form an emulsion containing droplets of the oil solution; (c) then heating the emulsion to a temperature above the precipitation temperature of the hydroxypropyl cellulose so that hydroxypropyl cellulose precipitates over the droplets to form solid microcapsule walls and (d) finally maintaining the emulsion at this temperature until the microcapsule walls become insoluble in water and in the oil. Nothing in the Japanese Pat. No. J79 000 426 discloses the creation of a liquid or solid fabric softener composition wherein the fragrance thereof is controllably released during the use activity (after treatment of fabrics with said fabric softener composition) at a consistently high level over an extended period of time from the treated fabric.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,489, the formation of a shredded tobacco material having intimately admixed therewith a micro-encapsulated synthetic clove flavoring material (wherein the capsules are of such a size as to create an audible crackling sound when burned) and the incorporation thereof into smoking articles such as cigarettes and cigars is disclosed. It is further disclosed that these capsules may also contain a tobacco flavor enhancer.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,753,730 issued on Aug. 21, 1973 discloses processes for altering the flavors of particulate grain products comprising applying a composition comprising a flavoring agent, an edible cold water insoluble film former and a vehicle to a particulate grain product; drying the distributed composition to form a flavor containing film on the grain product; and then optionally distributing the coated flavored grain through a large mass of uncoated grain particles.
German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,826,042 published on Jan. 4, 1979 discloses a condiment consisting of a lemon flavored salt prepared by mixing salt and a lemon oil powder and spraying the resulting mixture with lemon oil. More particularly, the salt is admixed with (a) from 0.1 up to 0.5 weight percent of salt of a terpene-free lemon oil bonded to a powdery carrier and (b) terpene-free liquid lemon oil. The condiment is prepared by mixing the dry salt with component (a), spraying the mixture with component (b) and mixing through a screw conveyor.
Hydroxypropyl cellulose itself is described in particular in three publications:
However, the prior art does not set forth commercially feasible processes for creating fabric softener compositions containing an aromatizing composition which provides instantaneous, evenly distributed aroma release over extended, continuous, non-interrupted fragrance perception time periods and, at the same time, provides during the use activity (subsequent to treatment of the fabric with the fabric softener and drying of said fabric) extended constant fragrance impact which is provided by our invention.
The use of "spray dried fragrances" is not, however, new to the art. "Spray dried fragrances" are known as taught in the following prior art:
The Miles et al article discloses an apparently stable spray dried encapsulated fragrance which may be formulated into aerosols. It is indicated that when sprayed on a surface under both in vivo and in vitro conditions gradually release fragrance upon exposure to moisture. It is further shown by Miles et al that the release rate can be varied according to the liquid vehicle and that it varies with the individual test subject and to the stimuli to which he or she is exposed.
The Brenner et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,971,852 discloses interalia perfume compositions, preferably in particulate form, comprising a cellular matrix having oil in the cells thereof in which the matrix comprises a polysaccharide and a polyhydroxy compound in such proportions that the oil may constitute up to 80% by volume so stably held in the cells that the extractable oil is not substantially in excess of 5%. The polysaccharides are indicated to be natural gums such as gum arabic, starch derivatives and dextrinized and hydrolyzed starches. It is further indicated that the polyhydroxy compounds may be alcohols, lactones, monoethers, plant-type sugars and acetals.
Nothing in either of the Brenner et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,971,852 or the Miles et al article infers the concept of our invention.